The Shifting Sands
I See Clearly was as it normally was, quiet yet dangerous at the same time. Hollows of all types loomed out of sight, feasting and hunting where the eternal sun did not shine. The sands stretched on far beyond what the eye could see, their pale white color and smooth texture made it look like a blank canvas. Dotting this "canvas" were many tragic sights, fallen corpses and dead trees. One sight stuck out among the white sands and scenes of death, a small cave that coughed out smoke like a chimney. Inside, a pale skinned figure wearing elegantly colored garbs appeared to be "meditating". His eyes were shut as he sat before a small fire that let loose plumes of purple-colored smoke. His name was Aragonés, a former and currently an exiled Arrancar. His seclusion to this cave was not a forced one, Aragonés had chose the cave for it's solidarity and peaceful nature. He needed to concentrate if he wanted to see his visions... Since as long as he could remember, Aragonés could foretell the future. At first he would be plagued with terrible headaches and flashes of what was to come. Since those days he had grown, his powers had developed into something much greater. In his state of meditation, Aragonés began to be flooded by images and sounds of the future. The visions were unsettling, most of the time he simply saw replays of the same image over and over again... but this time he was witnessing something new. He saw a man with a dark power inside of him and a man in an iron mask. Aragonés saw Hollows in the thousands, screaming and wailing as they were sliced down by a man with silver-hair. He had never seen these faces before... they intrigued him. He saw something else...something that made an emotionless man such as himself cringe. A being of epic proportion towered over the countless Hollows and the three men. It had the same dark power as the first man, but was far superior then him. Aragonés had never seen such a being, he was unsure what to make of the visions or of the threat these men faced. The fact of the matter is that these three had something to do with Aragonés and he was curious as to find out what their role was in it all. Deal with the Devil In contrast to the silence that had fallen on , was bustling this time of the day. People moved about hastily, some going to work and some going to the store; some might have even been going for a midday stroll. Shopkeepers haggled and police officers were scolding hoodlums. All was normal this day and Akechi took note of it. Peddling his Noodle Cart down the street, he was hard at work scoping out a position to dock and open for the Lunch Rush. "Akechi-san!" called a voice, feminine in nature. Catching his attention, Akechi quickly spun around to see a young woman waving at him. Proceeding to run up to him, Akechi staggered a bit as he gave her a bow. "Hana-san, good morning," he muttered, stuttering over his words. "The usual?" he asked, tapping the side of his cart. "You know it!" she said with delight. Exchanging conversation with Hana, Akechi proceeded to pull aside and set up his shop. It was obvious he had a crush on her yet he did not attempt to ask her out nor did he attempt to convey his feelings to her. It was a mystery. Pouring an order of noodles into a plastic bowl, Akechi handed the meal to Hana who bowed back in thanks. "This one's one me Hana," Akechi said, cleaning his hands with a rag. "Consider it a gift." he said with a laugh. "I appreciate it," Hana said, giving a smile to Akechi. "Have a good day Akechi-san!" she said before returning to her job. Akechi sat, slumped over staring in the direction she left from. His case was unique, he was unable to have a relationship and as much as it hurt him that he couldn't, he pressed on day by day. "Mr. Noodle Cart owner!" called another voice. It didn't surprise Akechi to see this face, it was one of his regulars. "G'morning Gatsu, the usual?" he called back. Gatsu had a look of delight. "You got it Mr. Noodle Cart owner!" Gatsu said. He obviously didn't know Akechi's real name, even though it had been reiterated to him time and time again. Akechi proceeded to prepare two orders, one with Hot Sauce and one without. Everyday Gatsu ordered for two but only came by himself. "So Gatsu... I'm curious," he said, handing the white-haired teen his orders after they were finally complete. "Whose the other bowl for?" he finished. "Nii-sama!" he called, handing Akechi the money and going on his merry way with his order. Akechi couldn't help but chuckle. Something about that kid was really friendly and it was good that he had a brother in his life that he respected greatly. Everybody needs somebody. Then it hit him; the words he said to himself had stung like snake bit. "Everybody needs somebody". Then who did he have? Roars from the Darkness He pushed his cart slowly through the night, letting out a sigh as he did so. He could never confess his love for Hana and only hope he could one day be free from his eternal curse. He had reached the resting area for his cart, slowly pushing it into the beat up garage and pulling down the gate. "Well... I'm off tommorrow, guess I'm going to spend some time at the bar." he said stretching his arms and rubbing his neck. He immedtiatly spun around at the sudden eruption of spiritual energy. A wicked roar ensued, assuring his thoughts. A Hollow. Leaping into the air, spiritual energy erupted around him, his outfit warping and his eyes shifting color. He was not a , , or anything common in the world. Akechi was a Goryō and one of the oldest at that. He leaped from building top to building top, his hand loosely atop the handle of his blade. He could only hear the piercing screams and feel the spiritual energy, but no Hollow was in sight. "Where is it...?" he asked himself, pausing midair. Catching him off guard, a powerful blast of spiritual energy quickly enveloped his entire arm. A Hollow had crept up the side of a building, a wicked grin forged on his mask. "A little insect compared to me!" the Hollow bellowed. "You shouldn't be quick to let your guard down," Akechi said from behind the Hollow, thrusting his blade through the back of the Hollow. "I don't go down that easily!" he yelled. The Hollow slowly turned its head around, growling at his attacker. "I saw you fall, my Cero destroyed your arm!" he yelled. His eyes widened at the sight of Akechi's arm. The scalded skin and demolished bone was slowly beating, regenerating bit by bit as seconds went by. "Like I said," Akechi said, gripping his Zanpakutō tightly. "I don't go down that easily!" he yelled, swiping upward. Splitting the Hollow vertically down the middle, it slowly dissipated into the air. Akechi gave a swipe to his blade, cleansing it of any remnants of the Hollow. His arm had fully reconstructed but it still felt weird to him. Giving a twist to the hand and a pull on his wrist, he felt it snap into place. "I'm not feeling the bar right now..." he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Battle in Naruki City Akechi had made the best of his situation, patrolling the night for any more "disturbances". As a Goryō, Akechi gained spiritual prowess that only grew as years passed. He was a honed warrior, capable of taking down the strongest of Hollows. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Akechi struggled to maintain composure. His day had been full of strife and his night wasn't looking to good so far as is. Hollow activity wasn't too wild in , but it still had its moments. Landing atop a building, Akechi began to survey the city around him. "This place is peaceful at night," he chimed. "A shame that it gets so busy during the day..." he said, rubbing his neck with a frown. Like a wave overcoming him, he felt a spiritual energy reading unlike any other he had ever felt before. No. He had felt it before. He felt it the first time his abilities emerged. It had to be a . With a quick about face, Akechi leaped into the distance, a look of intent had grown on his face. If he could find another, maybe he could also learn how to revert his "gift". "Not so fast..." a voice bellowed. Without any notice, Akechi quickly shot downward into the ground below, a plume of smoke taking form around him. Standing above the plume, a silhouette could barely be made out, a wicked grin on its face. Spread out across cracked earth, Akechi let out a cough riddled with blood. "What...power" he muttered. Akechi lifted himself up, gripping his abdomen which faced serious damage. "Regeneration is going good..." he muttered to himself. Akechi's eyes shifted upward, meeting with that of the figure in the sky. "Hmm?" the figure said with slight confusion. "I thought that attack would have killed you" it sarcastically chimed. "You're pretty cocky for somebody that hides in the shadows," Akechi spat. With a quick motion, he drew his sword and pointed it at the being. "Show yourself..." In less then a second, the figure disappeared from its place in the sky. Reappearing opposite of Akechi, he couldn't help but sneer at the sight. It was a child... "Intimidated by my age?" the child called. Akechi remained quiet, attempting to keep stoic before the adolescent foe. He finally let out a sigh. "I'm not big on hitting kids... anyway we can avoid direct conflict?" he called. "Nope!" the child called. Quickly pulling up his hand, a ball of fire quickly manifested and with a thrust of his arms, shot forward.